Retarded Weather Pattern!
by misto-shadow
Summary: Yeah, the name will make sense later. Hmm....Kakashi misses Sakura's birthday, sort of. So he comes back, finds her on a bench in the rain, takes her home, gives her a present, and POOF! He disappears! Why? Ooh,the suspense! Okay, so it's just a twoshot.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer-** Haha! No.

Retarded Weather Pattern

It was so cold, standing out in the rain. Not that it bothered her, of course. Today should've been great, it should've been one of the best days of her life, but it wasn't. In fact, it sucked. It was her twenty-first birthday, and everyone was there. Well, almost everyone. Naruto as the sixth Hokage invited nearly every shinobi from the Leaf village and a few out-of-towners, like Gaara and his gang. It was a birthday bash like none other, the cake was wonderful, the decorations and gifts were great, but she wasn't happy. Sasuke had returned a few years back and had joined the Anbu black ops, and he was there, giving her an honorary Anbu mask. But he wasn't there.

Hell, even Shikamaru made the effort to come, giving the gift of sake and other drunken-state inducing beverages. She got weapons galore from Tenten and Neji, who had given her their combined gift as a couple. The same thing happened with Ino and Shikamaru, (Ino had severe argument with Shika about giving Sakura sake, but when she realized she hadn't bought a gift the night of the party she gave in and let him sign her name to the card) and again with Naruto and Hinata. Every time she received a couple's gift she had to force herself to keep a smile on her face. What she really wanted to do was scowl at them for being so lucky to have each other. She wouldn't feel so jealous if he was there, sitting beside her and watching her open her gifts, his exposed eye crinkled in enjoyment. But he wasn't there.

The loud chorus of happy birthday gave her fleeting enjoyment when she decided to head home. But as soon as she stepped out the door her heart plummeted and tears burned her eyes. She didn't attempt to stop them; it wasn't like anyone would notice she was crying out in the rain. Sakura walked on, the rain pouring down and the night sky blackened with storm clouds. The weather fit her mood perfectly. She was tired, and couldn't wait to get home, but her feet decided the walk wasn't worth a soft bed right now and she collapsed on a bench, sobs wracking her small frame. He wasn't there. She knew he had a mission that couldn't be delayed, and even Naruto couldn't change that.

He didn't even bother to give her a gift ahead of time to apologize for his untimely mission. It had started a week ago, and certainly he hadn't forgotten her birthday! She hoped to god he didn't. If he came back and she asked him why he didn't wish her a happy early birthday to make up for lack of self at her party and he had forgotten about it, she would definitely pound his head into the ground. Most definitely. She couldn't- no, didn't want to think about the heartbreak that would follow. She would be angry, and when he was gone she would go home to cry and vow to never leave her room again. She wouldn't leave until they had to drag her out for her funeral from lack of movement and constantly eating chocolate and ice cream. 

He would feel bad then. He would know it was all his fault she died, because he had forgotten to wish her a happy birthday. What would she do if he came to apologize? She would shut the door in his face. What would she do if he caught the door and forced his way in? She would run to her room and shut that door in his face. But what if he stopped her from running? She would smack him and yell at him for going on a mission and forgetting her birthday. What if he stopped her from hitting him? What if he hugged her to make her feel better and shut her up? She would fall apart and cry. But then he would ask her why she was so upset because he merely forgot to wish her a happy birthday, and he would try to make it all better by saying it right then. And as for a present? He would kiss her and wish her a happy birthday again...

Sakura shook her head and let a small laugh choke its way out of her mouth. He wouldn't do that. He probably wouldn't even come over to apologize; he would just write her a letter or something. The rain pierced through her thin clothing and caused her to shiver. She hoped she got a cold or hypothermia from being out in the freezing rain in the middle of the night, and died. Then he would feel bad for missing her party because he never got to wish her a happy birthday before she died...and then he would realize it was all his fault and he would be miserable for the rest of his life. No, he would move on. Just like he had when his other comrades had died. But she didn't want to be just another dead comrade...

No, she hoped some freaky drunk guy would come along and try to steal her purse, and when she refused to hand it over he would pull out a knife and stab her. Then he would feel horrible because he wasn't there to protect her from the freaky drunk guy. But then again, why would he even be walking her home? He would probably want to stay and get drunk with the other guys. But then, he would feel bad for not walking her home and saving her from the freaky drunk guy, which might be better. But again, there were problems with this situation. For one, he wasn't even here, so he couldn't get drunk with the other guys or walk her home, and two, she didn't even have a purse.

Sakura rolled over so she was belly down on the bench. Maybe it would start to hail, and then it would become the size of baseballs and hit her in the head, crushing her skull. Ick, never mind. She didn't want to die because of some retarded weather pattern. That was too normal. So many people had died before because of a retarded weather pattern. But then again, a lot of people had died because of some freaky drunk guy or hypothermia or being too fat and not moving, so those options weren't any better. Damn. Maybe if there was a random attack by a bunch of ninjas and they killed her there on the bench, he would feel bad for not being there to protect her...but, that wasn't too out of the ordinary either. A lot of people had died because of random ninja attacks.

Oh!! She had just thought of a good one!! What if a pack of evil rabid squirrels jumped out of the trees that loomed overhead (A/N: She's on a bench in some random park that I decided was going to randomly appear on the way back to her house. Deal with it.) and attacked her? That was pretty original. It wasn't every day that somebody died because of a pack of evil rabid squirrels. Augh, no, that wouldn't work. She didn't want to be remembered as the ninja girl with the big forehead who got attacked by a pack of rabid squirrels and died. Who would want to be remembered for that? And he would probably laugh every time he thought about her, because he would be imagining Sakura getting attacked by squirrels and not having the ability to defend herself. But, if they were evil rabid ninja squirrels...hell no!!

Sakura draped her arm over the edge of the bench and aimlessly drew in the mud with her finger. She stared at it for a minute when she was done, realizing that she had unintentionally drawn him. Pathetic. She spat on him and let a bit of satisfaction seep into her broken heart when the rain continued to pelt down and wash his face away. Ha, killed because of a retarded weather pattern. Sakura rolled over so that she was facing the back of the bench. She curled up as best she could without falling off and shivered when a cold wind forced the rain against her back. Something told her that someone up there didn't like her very much, even though it was her twenty-first birthday. Psh, not like they cared. Hell, she didn't even care.

Sakura drifted in and out of sleep, and in the wee hours of the morning when the sun hadn't even begun to rise, someone woke her up. 

"Sakura, what are you doing? You haven't become homeless while I was away, have you?" A smooth, lovely voice aroused her from above.

She rolled over to look up at the annoying man, and she was too tired to react to him. Stupid Kakashi. He looked absolutely wonderful though, the rain sticking his clothes to his wonderfully muscular frame. His hair was wet and dripping, and the water ran down off his nose and landed on her cheek. Retarded weather pattern. It made him look so sexy right then...

"Go away you birthday missing loser." She groaned and rolled over again so she wasn't looking at him.

"Birthday missing? Oh yes, that's right. It's your birthday, isn't it?" Sakura cocked her head and glared at him, annoyed by his stupid eye that was crinkled in amusement.

"No, yesterday was my birthday. You missed it." She looked away again.

"I thought it was the twenty-eighth?" His head tilted slightly, and he quirked his visible eyebrow.

"It is, which was yesterday! You missed it! Now leave me alone!" Sakura growled, fed up with his stupid antics. (A/N: Sakura knows that it's morning, so she's referring to the party and that day as yesterday.)

"No, I believe today is the twenty-eighth." Sakura thought for a moment.

He was right. She had to celebrate a day early because Naruto forced her to. He was having a meeting with some representatives from other villages today, and therefore he would miss her party. Today was really the twenty-eighth, so Kakashi hadn't missed it. No matter, he still missed her party, and she would never forgive him.

"So, you missed my party. Now leave me alone, I'm trying to sleep." She growled and adjusted herself, terribly annoyed by the fact that she had been too tired to actually go home and sleep in a bed. 

"Sakura..." 

"Go away!" A single tear worked its way out of her closed eyes, rolling down the side of her cheek and landing on the bench. It was a good thing it was still raining.

Instead of the footsteps that Sakura wanted to hear, she gasped when he lifted her off the bench and adjusted her so he was carrying her bridal style. She glanced up at him, a slight blush still resting on her cheeks. Kakashi looked down at her, and his exposed eye crinkled with a smile.

"If you won't go home to sleep, then I'll just have to take you myself. I can't have you getting sick from this little camp out in the park, now can I?"

Absolute heaven. That's what this little VIP trip home was like. She was being carried, in the arms of her secret love no less, and her house was still pretty far off. Either he was pretty tired from his mission, or Kakashi was purposely going slow. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Sakura looked back up at him. Gorgeous.

"Hey, Kakashi?" She tilted her head and a curious look crossed her face.

"Hm?" 

"Did you, perhaps...get me something? I mean, you did miss my birthday party and all...I think I should get something for your lack of self." Okay, so she was being just a little selfish, seeing as how he was already carrying her home and came back in time for her real birthday, but the gift was necessary. It was her birthday, god dammit!!

Kakashi laughed when he looked at her innocent little expression of curiosity, which puzzled her even more. "And if I did?" 

"You better hand it over!" She grinned.

"Okay, but that would mean letting go of you to get it, and then I'd have to save you before you hit the ground, so I would have to drop your precious gift. It would probably land in the street and get run over by a truck after that, I suppose..." He looked back down at her, and his eye crinkled and she swore she could see the smile through his mask.

Sakura looked horrified. "Oh no you don't! Don't you dare drop me!" She grabbed his shirt and glanced down at the streets below. No, falling was definitely not something she would enjoy.

Upon reaching her doorstep Kakashi set Sakura down and pulled out her gift. She was slightly upset that she wasn't safely tucked in his arms anymore, but what was in that gift had a little more importance right then. Sakura tore the wrapping paper off and stared confusedly at the box. She glanced at him, and he just gestured toward the box. Rolling her eyes she proceeded to open it, unsure of what she would find. Another box. Crap.

"Dammit Kakashi! What the hell is it?" She tore open the third box, impatience getting the best of her.

Inside was a little black box. Oh dear. Sakura opened it slowly, not trusting her eyes. Inside was a diamond encrusted silver bracelet, and a note. She opened the small piece of paper, slightly befuzzled. Kakashi was never this...sweet.

_ Dear Sakura, ___

_You're probably wondering why this gift is so expensive. Well, after my mission I returned for your birthday, but I have another mission that is of utmost importance. Orochimaru has resurfaced, and I've been sent on an assassination. You see, it's more than likely that I won't come back, so I just wanted to make sure that you knew I didn't forget you before I died. Sasuke can't be allowed to come on this mission with me since Orochimaru still has power over him with that curse mark, so I'm doing this alone. Please forgive me for missing the party, and enjoy the ice. ___

_ Kakashi _

"Wh...what?!" Sakura tore her eyes away from the letter to look at Kakashi.

He smiled and brought a hand up to her cheek, then poofed into a cloud of smoke. A bunshin. Sakura stared at the space in front of her in utter shock. She couldn't move, and this sudden development was her worst nightmare. Then something dawned on her. It was a bunshin with her the entire time. Kakashi had never really been there, he was already out looking for Orochimaru. For all she knew, he could've found him already. Kakashi could already be...dead. Sakura shoved the letter into her pocket and quickly clasped the bracelet onto her wrist. She wouldn't let him die. She couldn't.

Pumping chakra into her legs she sprang onto the nearest roof and with blazing speed she headed for the village gate. Every second was crucial, and she kept pushing herself to go faster, knowing that if she was too late Kakashi would die. Sakura reached the gate and didn't bother stopping. Bounding off into the trees tears burned at her eyes, threatening to spill over. _'Damn you Kakashi...I swear, if you die, I...I don't know if I'll be able to stay sane! Please don't die on me...please...' _Sakura realized after a few minutes of jumping through the trees that she had no idea where she was going.

Landing silently she focused on his chakra and searched for it. Her minds eye traveled on, seeing through her chakra. There! She caught sight of his blazing white form and kept her eyes closed as she traveled on. There was another, more powerful source of chakra in combat range of Kakashi, and Sakura could only guess it was Orochimaru. A huge explosion erupted not far from where she was, and it forced her to open her eyes. Billowing black smoke inked the sky, rolling over the treetops like a cloud of choking oil. Sakura picked up her pace, fearing for the life of the one most dear to her.

The scene she came upon was horrifying. Orochimaru was standing at the edge of the newly made clearing (created by the explosion) breathing heavily. His brow was covered with sweat, and apparently he had gone through a terrible fight. Kakashi was laying on the other side of the clearing, his arm twisted at a grotesque angle. Sakura looked from one to the other, her brain trying to process what had just happened. Kakashi wasn't moving...Orochimaru was grinning evilly, his gaze locked on Kakashi's broken body. Suddenly his eyes flashed up to meet hers, insane and triumphant.

"You bastard..." Sakura breathed, her eyes filling with red. He killed Kakashi.

"You mother-fucking bastard!!! How dare you do this to him!!!" She launched herself from the tree straight at Orochimaru.

Sakura was boiling with hatred, and she was overcome by the fierceness of inner Sakura. Her chakra flared and lashed out from her body, its intensity almost visible. She landed a few feet from Orochimaru and quickly attacked him, eyes burning. He was fatigued from his fight with Kakashi, which slowed him down. He was overcome by Sakura in an instant, earning a superhuman fist in the face. He smashed against the tree behind him, and as soon as he hit the ground he was up again, fearing the insane female out to spill his blood. She was insane! Sakura smashed her fist into the ground, putting all her power into every blow.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!! Do you understand!??!?! KILL YOU!!!" She roared and just as Orochimaru came into range she dropped on her hands and spun, hitting him square in the face.

Meanwhile...

Kakashi heard her scream of rage and his eyes opened. He coughed up blood and tried to move his arm to wipe it away so he wasn't breathing blood back in from his mask, but he couldn't. His body was broken and useless. He was going to die. Either that, or Sakura would kill him for leaving on this suicide mission...another fit of coughing wracked his body, and more blood bubbled out of his mouth. There was a loud crash off in the distance, and he could only guess that Sakura was beating Orochimaru's face in. He almost felt bad for the crazy man locked in the sights of the infuriated Sakura. Well, almost. Orochimaru really didn't deserve his pity.

Back to Sakura...

"Bastard!!" Sakura caught his jaw with a swift and painful left hook. 

Orochimaru was battered and bruised, unable to use his chakra. He barely had enough time to get up before Sakura was at him again, launching another deadly blow. Suddenly her anger fueled barrage stopped, and Orochimaru saw this as an opening to attack. Instead, his fist was caught and twisted around, bringing his body along with it. Sakura slowly sank her kunai into his shoulder, her other hand gripping his throat. He was going to die, _nice_ and _slow_. Eyes still blazing, she whispered his death sentence.

"You know, I don't think you deserve to be splattered all over the ground for the wolves to eat. You're diseased meat, definitely not good enough for that. I know, how about this? I'll kill you and burn the flesh off your body, then give your bones to Sasuke to smash and curse any way he pleases. Doesn't that sound nice?" She gripped his throat tighter, watching him flounder with the fear of death. 

You see, Orochimaru was always petrified of dying. That's why he came up with a jutsu that would provide him with eternal youth. In the process it twisted his mind and blackened his soul, turning him into a heartless demon. No one who was human with human emotions could do such a vile thing, so he was the scum of the earth, a human body inhabited by the soul of a twisted, sick, demonic thing.

"Now I think it's about time that you finally died!" Sakura thrust the heel of her hand into Orochimaru's nose, forcing it up and back. He died eyes open.

Sakura dropped his lifeless, disgusting body and raced back to Kakashi, fear gripping her heart. She hoped with every fiber of her being that he wasn't dead. Arriving at his side she knelt down, tears spilling over her cheeks and landing silently on his chest.

"Kakashi? Kakashi!?" She shook him by the shoulder, praying to god that his eyes would open.

After a few tense seconds he coughed and spat up blood, and she could see it seeping through his mask. He was alive, but just barely. Sakura scanned him with her chakra, frightened by the horrible findings. Anyone else would have already died, but not Kakashi. He was a hardcore, invincible ninja! That was about to die. Sakura used one hand to fix the damaged arteries around his heart, and the other to stop the blood that was filling his lungs. Once his heart was safe she focused on his lungs. Repairing internal organs was much more difficult than fixing arteries, and it required all of her attention. 

"Sa...kura...don't. I'll die before...you can fix everything...my whole body...is shutting down. Sakura..." he whispered, his voice hoarse from coughing up so much blood.

"Shut up. You aren't going to die on me Kakashi, and that's final!" she pumped more chakra into his body, his lungs almost completely repaired.

Once she finished with that she brought her hands up to his head and placed two fingers on each temple. Gently she massaged chakra into his mind, trying to stop it from shutting the rest of his body down. He felt the cool sensation pulsating through his head, and he closed his eyes and relaxed.

"Kakashi!! Don't you dare give up on me now! Kakashi!!" Sakura quickly moved to heal the broken ribs that were constricting his ability to breathe.

His right arm was smashed, almost to the point where it was severed from his body. Sakura mended his ribs enough so they weren't life threatening and spread her chakra throughout his body, quickly fixing broken blood vessels and closing the gashes that were pouring out his life blood. She was running out of chakra, and if she didn't stop soon she would probably pass out.

"Sakura, stop. You're going to kill yourself at this rate!" He shakily lifted his left arm and grabbed her hand, his eyes opened and focused on hers.

She turned her head to look at him, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "I won't stop. You need to take that mask off, the blood that soaked into it is making it more difficult for you to breathe." She continued to pour chakra into his body through the hand that gripped her own and used the other to reach over and peel off the mask.

Kakashi couldn't move his other arm, so there was no way of stopping her. She gasped when she saw the entirety of his face. The only blemish was the scar that came down over his eye, and in fact it made him look even better. She stared at his pale face, complete with a perfect, straight nose and a lovely pair of lips...that were stained with blood. Instantly her mind was returned to the matter at hand and she looked away from his face. Sakura let go of the mask and took hold of his right arm, focusing the last of her chakra on repairing it before it was too late to save it. His body was almost in functioning order again, but every last drop of energy had been sapped from him and nearly all of his chakra was depleted.

He could feel the chakra that was being poured into his body begin to falter and thin out. She was at the end of her rope, and if Sakura didn't stop now she would either pass out from exhaustion or kill herself. He had to do something, or it could end badly for the both of them.

"Sakura, stop!" he grabbed her other arm and pulled it off of his own, trying to stop her from healing him. No use. She just used her other hand and ignored his command.

Her body began to shake and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead, but she forced herself to stay conscious. She was going to keep him from dying no matter what the cost. A wave of nausea passed over her and her vision faded._ 'Not now, dammit! I'm not done!'_ She swayed unsteadily and passed out, collapsing beside Kakashi. Alarmed he checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found she was still with him. Without her chakra pumping through his body and healing his wounds, he was overcome by severe exhaustion. In seconds he was asleep, his working hand clasping hers.

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Kay peoples, I decided to go with a two-shot, because I wanted this up _now._ I have recently become a KakaxSaku addict, so if there's anything screwy about this fic, I proudly declare it's my first KxS!!! So, it's time to find out what I need to fix and stuff, so if there's anything I need to improve upon please let me know. I lurv all you peoples out there who have read my other fics!!!

And even more luv to those who have reviewed!!! Thank you lots!! Now, I just want to say that I shall enjoy any form of review, even if it is a flame. I mean, even the flamers are okay, because you actually take the time to review and critique (even if it might just be a whole bunch of bashing and bull sh!) while other peeps are just too damn lazy to do anything. So thanks to all who have reviewed my fics!!! Oh, and if there's anything I need to explain or anything, just notify me in a review or something. Oh, and the name of the fic, I just so happen to have a grand master plan that will make it sensible at the end of the fic, I just have to remember what the grand master plan was……anywho, it'll make sense when all is said and done!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer-** Nope.

Retarded Weather Pattern pt.2

_Headache. _Her eyelids refused to open, so she lay there awake, her mind thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. _Headache._ There was something warm latched onto her hand, and the only person that came to mind was Kakashi. _'Fuck, I forgot about Kakashi!' _forcing aside the horrid dizziness and sleep lag she sat up, her eyes scanning the motionless body beside her. Well, almost motionless, he was still breathing.

Sakura lifted her free hand and prepared her healing chakra. She was mere inches from his chest when his hand let go of hers and snatched the one about to touch him. Not realizing he was awake she was stunned, but still she tried to press chakra into him. His own was somewhat recovered and it forced her chakra back out.

"Don't even try Sakura. You aren't strong enough to do that again. If you use up the little bit of chakra you have left there's no doubt you'll die. A body can't handle that much strain all in a few hours." His eyes flitted open, and his mouth was set in a firm line.

"But, if I don't fix your arm there's a chance you'll loose it!" She was pleading, and her eyes were definitely worried.

"Chance?" He quirked a brow at her, his face still set in a determined and stubborn fashion.

"Okay, more than likely. If you'll just let me fix the smashed bones and set your elbow back in place there won't be a problem." Her free hand grasped his useless wrist, but she didn't try to heal him. It would be futile to try to get some chakra into his body when he could easily overpower her and force it out now that he was somewhat rested.

"Fine. But if you try to do anything else I'll be forced to knock you out. Just because I can't move doesn't mean that I'm helpless." His eyes were warning, and his sharingan began to spin.

Sakura rolled her eyes and pressed a small amount of chakra into his arm, tending to the worst of the injuries. She set the bone in his lower arm and repaired the nerve endings, which in turn caused his chakra to flare and push her away.

"Sakura…" He warned her sharply, and she retreated her chakra to his elbow.

She reattached his upper arm to the joint and in all swiftness she repaired the nerves there as well. As soon as Kakashi realized that she was again doing more than he would allow he forced her chakra out of his arm. He flexed his now functional hand a few times and gave Sakura a sharp look. She was already breathing hard from the small exertion and he didn't like it when other people went directly against what he wanted, especially when they did it right under is nose. Sakura rolled her eyes at his sharp look and sat back in the dirt. With much strain Kakashi managed to prop himself up on his elbows, and as soon as he was up Sakura pushed him down.

"You aren't strong enough yet, so stay down. Doctors orders." He quirked a brow at her tone but said nothing.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence Sakura laid down next to Kakashi and sighed, relaxing. He gave her a look and from some odd little recess in his mind a voice chimed in._ 'Hmm...vanilla...' _He turned his eyes back to the sky, and for the first time he noticed the sun was sinking behind the horizon and it was getting colder. The two had been out there for the entire day. Sakura must have been thinking the same thing, because seconds later something dawned on her.

"Shit. I was suppose to meet Ino at Ichiraku's today so we could do some birthday shopping. But no, I'm stuck out here, taking care of your sorry ass. Pfft, she's pissed at me now." Sakura ran her fingers through bubblegum locks and sighed. Her annoyance was completely fake.

She would much rather be out here in the middle of the woods taking care of Kakashi than shopping with Ino. Yes, the two were friends again, but this was _so _much better. I mean, would you want to be shopping for more stuff and getting some girly outfit you would never wear, when you could be just watching the day go by with the guy who secretly captured your heart? Yes, Sakura was enjoying herself right where she was. Besides, if she had gone shopping with Ino, Kakashi would already be dead. Now that was something to think about.

The peace didn't last long, however. Night was taking over and the moon was already hanging in the sky. Sakura sensed it when Kakashi stiffened, and moments later she too noticed the thing that he was alarmed about. No, more like four things, ninja, coming fast. The hidden leaf village was still on shifting ground with the village hidden in the sand, and let's just say they didn't quite respect the borders and privacy that Konoha preferred. The only thing Sakura was thinking about was the fact that she was totally incapable of fighting, as was Kakashi, and there were possible spies heading their way. Not good.

In no time at all the ninja landed at the edge of the clearing, and in the near darkness Sakura couldn't see what they looked like. She sat up to try and prepare herself for an attack, and Kakashi propped himself up on his elbows to get a better view of the situation. Sakura couldn't fight, but she had enough strength to flee, which in her mind meant absolutely nothing. She would not abandon Kakashi to save her life. That was stupid, selfish, and utterly wrong by her moral standards. The ninja were advancing cautiously, unable to determine whether or not the figures on the ground were friend or foe. Sakura tensed, waiting, and when Kakashi noticed this he placed his hand over her own to try and calm her down.

The mysterious ninja were halfway across the clearing, and they began to pick up their pace once they realized that Sakura and Kakashi were helpless. An unfamiliar voice called out to the pair, and Sakura flinched when it broke through the tense silence.

"Who are you? What village do you stand by?" The four approaching ninja stopped, and one of them stepped forward. Sakura assumed it was the speaker.

"I was about to ask the same question." Kakashi called out, and Sakura would have elbowed him if it weren't for the fact that she would probably crack his soft ribs.

One of the ninja disappeared and reappeared behind Sakura and Kakashi. Sakura quickly turned, kunai in hand, ready to fend off an attack. When her eyes landed on an Anbu mask she sighed in relief and dropped the kunai from her hand. The next second her eyes flashed back up to the mask, noticing how familiar it was. Wait a minute...the animal style was a proud wolf. The only wolf mask like that was...Sasuke's! The masked figure crouched and pulled off his mask, smirking at her.

"Hey Sakura." His obsidian eyes glinted in the pale moonlight and Sakura smiled. "I didn't expect to find you out here. I guess it's just lucky that I found you two on my way back from a mission." He nodded down at Kakashi, who returned the gesture.

Sasuke quirked a brow when he noticed that Kakashi wasn't wearing his mask. He_ never _took off his mask. The Uchiha looked to Sakura for an answer, when one of the other Anbu appeared beside him.

"Sir, I think you should see this." The other masked figure made a quick bow.

"Alright. Could you two hold on a minute?" He got this annoyed look on his face and the other Anbu quickly poofed away, and he followed suit.

Sasuke reappeared where his team had assembled around a lifeless figure. He crouched down to get a better look, and his eyes widened in disbelief when he realized who the dead figure was. Orochimaru. Not sure he trusted his eyes he quickly pulled down the neck of his shirt to get a better look at his shoulder. Indeed, the curse mark was gone and he hadn't even noticed. Quickly he returned to Sakura and Kakashi, very confused.

"Who...?" Sakura realized that they had found Orochimaru, and Sasuke wanted to know who took him out.

"Kakashi." She thumbed at the silver haired man, and in return he shook his head when Sakura wasn't looking.

"So Sakura, how'd you do it?" Sasuke had seen the disagreement from Kakashi, and curiosity sparked his question.

"What? Kakashi was the one--"

"Who beat him up and almost got killed. I'm kind of curious to find out how you did it too." Kakashi interrupted, his eyebrow cocked.

"Well it was only because--"

"Sakura, how'd you do it? Don't give me excuses just answer the question." Sasuke earned a peeved look from the kunoichi for cutting her off.

"Well if you would just let me finish!" She rolled her eyes and folded her arms, clearly annoyed.

"Go on!" Kakashi prodded her with a finger, an amused smile playing with his lips.

"Well, long story short I just kicked his sorry ass and smashed his nose in. There you have it." She shrugged, deciding not to share with them why she kicked Orochimaru's sorry ass. I mean, he beat up on Kakashi, what else was she suppose to do?!

Sasuke raised his eyebrows and gave her a questioning look. He knew there was more to it than that, but there was no use in trying to force it out of her if she obviously didn't feel like sharing.

"Interesting. Well, I see that you both are in no condition to fight, let alone stand (referring to Kakashi), so that means I'm gonna have to carry your sorry butts home, huh?" Sasuke smirked again and stood up, calling over the other Anbu. "You two, prepare a makeshift stretcher we can carry this poor bastard on." he glanced down at Kakashi, who gave him a look. _'Poor bastard, eh?' _"And Jinsei?"

"Sir!"

"Make sure that sorry piece of trash gets taken care of _now_." Sasuke waved in the direction of Orochimaru's remains and turned back to his companions. "Sakura, you can still run, right?"

"Yeah." She nodded and watched the two nameless Anbu prepare the stretcher.

"Good. We've got a couple of sand nin on our tail, so we can't waste any more time on the wounded." Sakura nodded in understanding and met his gaze.

"I didn't know you had a mission Sasuke. What have you been doing that's got ninja after you?" She quirked a brow and smirked, her eyes shining curiously.

"We had to retrieve a scroll that was stolen while everyone was at you party, birthday girl. Luckily we caught up with the thieves and got the scroll back, but now they've regrouped and come after us." Sasuke glanced over at the two remaining Anbu and growled impatiently. He was _not _a person who enjoyed working in teams, especially when he thought his teammates were incompetent underlings.

Suddenly a kunai buried itself in a nearby tree, and Sasuke was immediately set for battle.

"Okay guys, we've got ourselves a situation! Get your asses over here and keep these two out of trouble while I deal with the _insects."_ He growled at his team and cracked his knuckles, preparing to kick the shit out of the annoying ninja who wouldn't leave him alone.

Three sand nin appeared in the trees at the other edge of the clearing, and instantly Sasuke disappeared, reappearing right in front of them and firing a vicious phoenix flower jutsu. This was definitely going to be an interesting fight. The two nameless Anbu carefully placed Kakashi on the stretcher and picked it up, doing their best not to jostle him.

"I'm not broken and near death anymore you know, you can move faster." Kakashi grunted, his tone annoyed. He could understand why Sasuke was so impatient with these Anbu.

Sakura turned back to see Sasuke dishing out a major serving of whoop-ass. The nameless Anbu launched into the trees and raced back to Konoha, apparently confident in their leaders' abilities on handling a few ninja. Sasuke noticed Sakura still standing there, and he yelled for her to get moving before she got into trouble.

"You better not die Sasuke!" Sakura was worried, but she quickly dispatched the thought and teased him. "Or I'll get Naruto to kick your butt!"

"Gotcha, now get going!" Sasuke took out one of the ninja and waved her off.

Sakura launched herself into the trees and caught up to the other Anbu carrying Kakashi. She began to recognize the woods around her as they progressed, which brought relief. She was already beginning to tire out, and the two Anbu purposely slowed down a bit to match her pace. Kakashi had closed his eyes, mask gripped in his hands. Sakura was once again distracted by his flawless features, and when his normal eye opened and gave her a questioning look, she bit her lip and looked away. Damn, if he still couldn't tell she had a thing for him now, she would beat her head against the wall. You'd think he would be able to tell, seeing as how he read all those pervy books.

Sakura stayed face forward for the rest of the journey, resisting the urge to look at Kakashi again. And so, she missed the little smile he had on his face after he caught her staring. The leaf ninja finally reached Konoha, Sakura out of breath and sweaty. The two Anbu quickly carried Kakashi to the hospital, and as soon as he was being tended to by one of Sakura's fellow medic nin they rushed out, apparently headed back to check up on their leader.

_'Great...now I have to be the one to give the report. Damn.' _Sakura sighed and pulled on a spare white coat, following Kakashi and the two nurses escorting him. She didn't like the way they kept looking at him, not one bit. Once he was settled in a room the nurses did a quick once-over with their chakra and made more repairs on his battered body. As soon as they left Sakura walked over to the hospital bed and pulled the mask out of Kakashi's hands. He opened his tired eyes and watched her walk to the sink to wash out the blood. She filled the sink with cold water and placed the mask in it, then she turned back to Kakashi.

"Hey, I better go break the news to 'Lord Hokage' that Orochimaru has been exterminated, being that I'm the only one capable of walking right now. You can give him all the grisly details when you're feeling better." Sakura smiled and headed out the door, only receiving a nod from the tired copy ninja.

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Sakura had rushed through her report, wanting to get home and take a nap before she had to go to work. Naruto excused her early, because he had to take an urgent call from his wife of two years. She heard Naruto shouting like he always did when he was excited, apparently little Neji had spoke his first word. And by the way Naruto was trying to calm Hinata on the phone, she definitely wasn't happy about it. I mean, who would be, when your kids' first word was 'Sasuke-teme'? Sakura smiled, imagining a sweet little blonde boy with pale lavender eyes and an Uzumaki grin racing around the Hyuuga estate screaming 'Sasuke-teme'.

After a quick shower Sakura got dressed and brushed through her short bubblegum locks. Glancing at the clock she realized she only had a half hour before her shift at the hospital. Flopping down on the couch she let out an exhausted sigh and closed her eyes, relishing in the comfortable cushions and how they complemented her frequent naps so well. And in no time at all the alarm clock was screaming in her ear to get up. She flung a tired hand over to the annoying thing and shut it off. Well, she killed it. She groaned at the thought of having to buy yet another alarm clock. Ever since her training with Tsunade she had a tendency to break alarm clocks. She was lucky if she had the same one for two weeks.

But never again would she _ever _let Naruto get an alarm clock for her. The last time he did he pulled a terrible prank, and Sakura had nearly beat him into unconsciousness if it weren't for the fact that Hinata had walked in on the scene and passed out. She was very sensitive about Naruto being subjected to a beating by Sakura. But he did deserve it, seeing as how he set the alarm on her clock to some viciously loud explosion that shook the nightstand followed by a horrendous knock-off of some screamo music. Yeah, he definitely deserved it. (A/N: anywho...)

Sakura left her apartment with a click of the lock and took to the roof way express. She preferred house-top travel on her way to work than walking the streets. It always took longer with so many people traversing from place to place. Upon arrival at the hospital she checked in and looked at her floor/room schedule. _'Only four rooms? Do I appear to be incapable of handling more or something?' _Sakura furrowed her brow and took the elevator up to her designated rooms for the day. Well, she would definitely get bored, seeing as how she only had four patients to attend to, and she knew there wouldn't be a need to be with them all the time.

She checked in on the first three and was on her way to the forth in somewhat of a better mood. Two of her patients were young, one being a little boy in for Urethra Reflux Disorder (uh, to get the problem fixed. If you don't know what URD is just ask!)and a fifteen year old girl who was leaving that day after some minor surgery that was on her clipboard but Sakura couldn't recall the name. The third patient was an elderly homeless man who had no family. Sakura's heart went out to him, because he was dying and there was no way to stop it. He refused medication, and she felt awful for not giving it to him anyway because he was in pain. (A/N: heh, heh, I plead guilty. I got this old guy from watching an episode of House.)

Upon opening the door to her forth patients' room she was surprised. Kakashi lay on the hospital bed, dozing. Apparently he had been moved from his other room, and his mask was back on. His exposed eye opened when she shut the door, and he glanced over at her.

"Ah, hello Sakura." His eye crinkled with a hidden smile, but it was tired and halfhearted.

"Hello Kakashi, I wasn't expecting to have you as a patient, but it is a nice surprise." She walked over to the bed and checked his clipboard. He was in much better condition than before, but he still needed treatment for the next day or two.

"Do I have to stay here? I would much rather be home." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I know you would rather be home, but you still need to be watched. You're not quite out of the woods yet, Kakashi." Sakura felt weird talking to him from a medic nin/patient position. She didn't know why, but it just felt weird.

"I could always have a home nurse you know." He watched her check his bandages and the arm that she had saved.

"You'll have to take that up with the medic assigned to you...what?!" Sakura screeched when she doubled checked his clipboard. Apparently she was the medic nin assigned to him.

"What?" Kakashi quirked a brow at her outburst, slightly amused by the look on her face.

"Augh. I'm your assigned medic nin!" She sighed and buried her face in her hands. "Why me!?" She appeared to be annoyed with the whole situation on the outside, but inside she was extremely happy. If he was to go home and have his checkups there, she was the one who would have to go.

"Well doc? Can I go home?" He chuckled and she gave him an annoyed glare.

"Fine. But you better not exert yourself in any way or I'll have to drag you're ass back here and I won't let you leave until every last scratch is healed!" She gave him a warning glance and left to fill out the necessary paperwork. Stupid Kakashi.

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(Day three of home treatment)

Sakura gave an exasperated sigh. Kakashi had managed to rip out a few of his stitches on his side in an attempt to get something off of a high shelf. The idiot. Sakura was currently fixing it, and she was terribly upset with the copy nin, but inwardly joyous for the fact that he had to take off his shirt so she could fix the stitches. It was all she could do to keep her curiosity at bay. She really wanted to find out if he was ticklish, but she had a job to do! She finished fixing the stitches and reluctantly let Kakashi put his shirt back on when she was done checking the rest of his healing wounds.

"Idiot, you could have really done some damage you know! Any more mishaps and you're going back to the hospital, and I refuse to let you bring your Icha Icha books with you!" Sakura warned, and his eye widened at the threat.

"Ah, I'll be more careful Sakura, don't worry!" He laid back down on the bed and folded his hands behind his head.

"You better be. As long as you stay rested you should be ready to train again in a week tops." Kakashi grunted and kept his gaze focused on the ceiling. Apparently he wasn't too happy about the wait.

"Hey, don't get upset about it, it's your own fault! You're the one who decided it would be fun to go try and kick Orochimaru's butt! This is what you get for going alone." She poked him with a finger and drew chakra into her hands, preparing for the daily healing session.

This was probably her favorite part of being Kakashi's home nurse. She loved getting to work her chakra in the way of healing, and being able to do it for him was a blessing in itself. She closed her eyes and focused on the task before her, but even so she could feel his eye watching her. Ever since the day she almost killed herself keeping him alive he watched her when she healed him, keeping track of how much chakra she used. Even if he wasn't as beaten up as he was then, he still worried about her. Sometimes she got so caught up in her work she would forget about her limits, and the fact that if she crossed them there were steep consequences.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence Sakura opened her eyes and pulled her hands back from their position on Kakashi's chest. She was always a little disappointed when she was finished, and it seemed that every day she was spending less and less time with him because he was recovering so quickly. Not nearly as fast as Naruto recovered, he would have been up and fighting again in three days tops, but she was still dreading the day she would stop having to come over. She loved spending time with the copy nin, object of her secret affection.

"You know Sakura, you never did tell anyone why you just decided one day that you didn't love Sasuke anymore." He turned his head to look at her, and Sakura furrowed her brow.

"Where did that come from?" She tilted her head and gave him a curious look.

"I was just remembering the fight I had with Orochimaru. It was pretty lucky that Sasuke and his squad found us. I heard that he came back unscathed from the battle with those sand nin."

"Yeah, it is pretty amazing how strong he has gotten over the years, but I'm sure he's a bit jealous by the fact that Naruto can still kick his ass." Sakura smiled at the thought. Their rivalry was still as strong as ever, even though Naruto was suppose to be a responsible Hokage and Sasuke the strongest of the Anbu leaders.

"Hm, I guess. Now, back to the question. What made you give up on Sasuke so quickly?" He quirked a brow at her, waiting for an answer.

Sakura bit her lip, debating on whether or not she wanted to share the story with him. She sighed, deciding there really was no reason she couldn't tell him, and she didn't have an excuse to bail. She noticed the way Kakashi's eye crinkled, and she gave him an annoyed scowl.

"You know, if you don't stop smiling like that I'll just leave you here to ponder the reason." He sighed and held his hands up submissively.

"Alright, alright, now out with it." He folded his hands behind his head again and waited to hear the tale.

"Well...it was back when he finally decided it wouldn't kill him to go out with me..." Sakura settled into her chair and closed her eyes, recalling the event as if it were only the day before.

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_(flashback)_

_Sakura finished putting up her hair and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Sleek black dress, silver chain bracelet, black heels Sasuke had given to her (they had the Uchiha crest stitched on the toe), blood red lipstick, hair up in a bun...she felt like a whole new person without her ninja gear. She had grown her hair out again, but she was thinking about cutting it short again. She liked it better that way, it was much more manageable._

_The door bell rang and she raced to get it, checking her hair one last time before she opened the door. There Sasuke stood, in all his wonderful Uchiha glory. Black dress pants, dark blue dress shirt, and a bouquet of daffodils...gorgeous. He silently handed her the daffodils and smiled slightly at her excited reaction. Ever since they had started going out a year ago she had managed to break through his brooding silent shell. Besides, he had gotten rid of his brother after he joined up with Orochimaru, so the cold exterior of an avenger was no longer needed._

_"Ready?" Sasuke slid his arm around her waist and led her to the car._

_"Mm-hm!" She leaned against his tall frame and smiled up at him, enjoying the closeness._

_There was still little conversation between the two, but Sakura knew it was just out of habit. He still wasn't used to talking to people, even if she was his girlfriend. Sasuke parked in front of the restaurant and got out, walking around to the passenger side to open the door for Sakura. She smiled at him and he looped his arm around hers, leading her into the building. (A/N: blah blah, they have a nice time, the food is good, like you care. On with the story!)_

_---time break thingy---_

_Sasuke drove her home, a comfortable silence hanging in the air. _

_"Sakura..." Sasuke stopped her on the doorstep and waited for her to meet his gaze._

_"Yes Sasuke?" She looked up at him curiously, and the strange look in his eyes made her stomach twist with worry._

_"I, have to ask you something. I don't...feel anything anymore. Will you..." He struggled for words, his brow furrowed. He wasn't good with such intimate conversation._

_"Will I what?" Sakura was confused, not quite sure if she was going to like how this date ended._

_"Kiss me." He leaned forward, eyes closed, and placed a soft hesitant kiss on her lips._

_For a few seconds Sakura was too shocked to react, but when his tongue slipped over her bottom lip it brought her back to reality. The kiss was wonderful from the view of Sakura's inner fan girlishness, but as herself something was missing, and it worried her. It just didn't make her feel like...cloud nine. It was more like cloud five. Just not what she had wanted from her knight in shining armor...er, Anbu gear. The two broke apart, and there was a searching look in Sasuke's eyes. _

_"Well? Did you find out what you wanted to know?" Sakura cocked her head, a half-hearted smile turning the corner of her lips. _

_"...Did you...feel anything? Anything significant at all?" Sasuke took her hand, and a soft smile encouraged her to speak._

_Sakura shook her head. "No...I'm sorry Sasuke!" Tears burned her eyes and he wiped them away gently._

_"it's okay Sakura, that's what I needed to hear." He squeezed her hand and she furrowed her brow._

_"What?"_

_"I...didn't feel anything either. I don't think it's your fault, or mine. I guess we aren't as perfect together as you thought." He quirked a brow and she smiled, a small laugh bursting out of her mouth._

_"Well, what do we do now? Do the whole, 'we're-just-friends-but-it's-really-awkward-because-we-dated-and-failed' thing?" He smirked and ruffled her hair._

_"Sure. I don't think it will be so awkward, seeing as how we're totally honest about everything." Sakura smiled and waved goodbye as he left in his car._

_(End flashback)_

_-------------------------------------------------------------------_

"It still hurt a little bit after that, knowing that we weren't meant to be and everything. But after a week or so I got over it. Now he's just like a big brother to me, like Naruto. They're my boys!" Sakura laughed and Kakashi quirked a brow at her.

"Just like that huh? I don't believe it. You gave up just like that? I thought that all the fawning you did back when you were younger had a stronger meaning than that." His eye crinkled with a smile and Sakura rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh be quiet Kakashi!" She poked him stiffly in the arm and he just chuckled. "Alright, I better get going and leave you to eat in peace!" She stood up to leave, but Kakashi stopped her.

"Hey Sakura, you wouldn't mind accompanying me for dinner, would you? If you don't have any special plans with your latest crush, that is." His eye crinkled, and she knew by the way he chuckled that he was smirking under the mask.

"Huh. And if I do have plans?" Sakura cocked a brow at him.

"Then you'll just have to cancel. You have to keep an eye on your patient, remember!" He stood from the bed and walked slowly to the kitchen.

Sakura grinned and followed him. Surprisingly enough his home wasn't full of ninja weapons and books filled with nonsensical things written by poets that he might read to find one of his horrendously lame excuses. It was pretty basic, couch in the living room, average kitchen, simple set bedroom...except for the bookshelf of Icha Icha books in the corner, his home was decent, lived in, but decent. Sakura rolled her eyes when she saw Kakashi filling the kettle with water and she snatched it out of his hand, receiving a small look of surprise.

"_You_ sit, I'll deal with the tea." She said as he grabbed a couple of mugs out of the cupboard.

"Eh, I have to get dinner, you sit." She shoot him an annoyed look but sat, waiting for the water to boil. Stupid Kakashi.

There was a distant roll of thunder from outside and Sakura sighed. She should have gone home. Even if she was having dinner with the secret of her affection, walking home in the rain was going to suck. Retarded weather pattern. She watched the man work his way around the small kitchen, preparing a meal. She had never really thought about it before, but she wondered if his food was safe to eat. Most of the guys she knew had no talent in the culinary art, and anything they concocted was to be feared above all else. Well, if he was still alive after all these years of eating food he made himself, it couldn't be all that bad, could it?

The kettle on the stove began to whistle and she rose from her chair to turn off the heat. Once the tea was poured and the food Kakashi had 'whipped up' was in the oven, the two sat down at the table and let the silence grow.

"So...since Sasuke is a lost cause, is there anyone else you have your eye on?" The question caught Sakura off guard, and it took her a few moments to gather herself and give a decent answer.

"Well...sort of." He noticed the faint blush that stained her cheeks, and she saw him smile beneath the mask.

"Who?" Kakashi sat back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head, waiting for an answer.

"Er, Kakashi?" she raised her eyebrows at him, a small, embarrassed smile working her mouth.

"Hm?"

"This is kind of...you know, girl talk. I mean, stuff that I prefer to talk about with Ino and Tenten!" Her cheeks colored again, and Kakashi realized how uncomfortable the whole thing was for her to talk about.

"Ah, sorry Sakura." His eye crinkled and she saw him smile in apology.

But there wasn't time for any more conversation, because the timer went off signaling that the food was done. Sakura steeled herself, preparing for the worst. She had tasted the worst, and man alive, it was bad...she didn't have the heart to tell Naruto just how bad his cooking was, but before lunch was over she had to rush to the ladies room to relieve her stomach of its contents. Then he laughed at her afterwards, because he already knew he wasn't a cook when he had tried to impress Hinata. Sakura ended up pummeling him for not warning her, so she had a stomach ache for the next two days and Naruto couldn't see out of his left eye.

"Dinner is served!" Kakashi set a plate in front of her, and in truth it did look pretty good, but you know how they always say not to judge a book by its cover.

There was a hesitant chopstick lifted to her lips...then a small smile...a look of surprise when the food hit her tongue...and then she was going back for more.

"Good?" His chopsticks were left untouched by his plate as he watched her eat, amused.

"Yesh!" Her mouth was full of food, and when she heard herself she burst into a fit of giggles, hand over her mouth.

As soon as Sakura approved of his cooking Kakashi slipped his mask down and began to eat as well. But not long after he noticed Sakura had stopped moving, and he looked up to see why. She sat there, staring wide-eyed at his face. That confused him. She had seen his face before, so what was the big deal?

"Eh, Sakura? You've seen me without my mask before, what's up?" He quirked a brow, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. This whole thing was terribly amusing to him.

"Yeah, I know...but last time...last time you were so pale...and you were bloody." She whispered, still watching him. "Now...you know, I've never seen you smile without your mask, it's...amazing." The amused look on Kakashi's face broke into a full smile and he rubbed the back of his head with a hand.

"Well then...thanks." He chuckled slightly, and Sakura blushed fiercely when she realized what had just slipped out of her lips.

She told him he was amazing. He knew she thought his smile was amazing and he looked...embarrassed? Well, he never really took his mask off around anyone, so the situation was all new to him. She had said his smile was amazing, and it complemented his utterly devastating features. She was just glad she hadn't let that slip out while her brain was on the fritz! Sakura finally managed to return her attention to her food and the two ate in silence, slightly uncomfortable at first, but the tension released after a while and dinner with Kakashi was a pleasurable experience. She definitely had to do this more often.

After the meal was done and the friendly chatting had ceased Sakura decided it was high time she got home. She had come during the day when it was warm and _not _raining, so she hadn't a coat to wear. Deciding it was worth the stay with Kakashi she didn't say a word about borrowing a jacket when she opened the door, and the sight of pouring rain sunk her spirits. She jumped when Kakashi placed a light jacket on her shoulders and opened an umbrella, stepping outside.

"Come on Sakura, I'm not going to let you walk home in the rain without a coat on." He coaxed her off the doorstep and soon the two were walking along in the muddy streets, unaware of the dreary weather around them.

Sakura shivered as the chill of the rain surrounded her in the night, and a jolt of warm surprise draped across her shoulders and pulled her close to a warm body. She smiled up at Kakashi in the dark, and was again surprised when a faint red glow illuminated his face. The sharingan spun slowly, and his face appeared exotic and foreign in the red light. Sakura realized that he hadn't put his mask back on when they left his house, and the soft smile that adorned his lips made her insides buzz with warmth and the color to rise in her cheeks.

"Eh, Sakura?" his voice was low and gentle, almost as if he were speaking to an animal that would bolt from him if he spoke too loud.

"Yeah...Kakashi?" She stared at his face, mesmerized by his strong, handsome features.

"Do you think...you could tell me now?" She furrowed her brow confusedly.

"Tell you what?" She cocked her head slightly, causing her bubblegum bangs to fall across her eyes.

"Who you decided...was a better target for your affection instead of Sasuke." He brushed the stray hair away from her face ever so gently.

"You really want to know? Why are you so interested in my love life, Kakashi?" Her eyes glinted curiously in the glow of the sharingan.

"If I tell you, will you promise to tell me who this guy is?" She nodded. "Because I care. Is that good enough?" His hand was still resting on the side of her face, thumb rubbing her cheek softly.

In truth the answer didn't satisfy her at all, but he had answered honestly even if it was vague. Her sensible self was yelling, screeching that she was to stop this foolishness, but her heart pushed her forward. There wouldn't be a chance like this ever again, and if she ran from him now he wouldn't be as open with her as he was now. He wouldn't trust her enough to share his inner thoughts, his secret behind the mask, because she would run whenever he wanted to know about her personal self.

"I...I..." her hands shook nervously, and the two stopped walking.

"Sakura, you can tell me." He dropped the umbrella and both of his hands held her face, stepping closer he took her into a warm hug. "I promise to take it to my grave, you know." He whispered, nose buried in her hair.

"Well...I think I love _you_ Hatake Kakashi." She tensed, waiting for the disastrous reaction that would forever separate her from the one she held most dear.

"Hm. Good." His breath was warm by her ear, contrasting severely with the cold chill of the rain.

Sakura stood in shocked silence. It was good? She was...accepted?

"Wha...what??" Her voice was pitched and airy due to her state of mental shut down.

Sakura lost feeling in her legs and she sunk to the ground, her legs instantly drenched with mud and rainwater. It wasn't long before Kakashi had dropped down and pulled her close for another strong embrace. Sakura sat in the mud, her brain on the fritz and her heart pounding a mile a minute. He said it was good. He was hugging her. Kakashi pulled away and gently kissed her, and in response her mind roared to life and her entire chest was filled with a burning warmth. Love. She had never felt like this when Sasuke had kissed her. Kakashi smiled when he pulled away, amused by the glazed look on Sakura's face.

"You know Sakura, if it weren't raining, I wouldn't have had the need to walk you home." Her eyes widened at the thought of possibly missing what had just occurred.

Huh, maybe she liked retarded weather patterns after all.

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I dunno, the beginning of this chappie is kinda crappy, and the rest is just kinda...eh. I definitely think I could better, but of course I'm much to lazy to attempt a rewrite and fix. Gah, just tell me what you think peoples! I had fun writing this and plotting it out in my head, it was odd. There were about four other endings that I was going to use, but as soon as I rethought it I came up with a better one and ended up writing this. I mean, I couldn't sit back and think for too long or I'd loose my ambition! As I have said in all of my other stories, please don't hesitate to ask any questions, or if you have any comments or suggestions I will gladly listen to them. Oh, and if you took the time to read this add 'sugar high' somewhere in your review, thanks! Until next time, valete!

Mistoffelees Shadow


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